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The market can be a beautiful and cruel mistress.  I can't afford to get sick, so I really have watch what I eat and drink. I also keep very physically active and do my best to stay in shape.  I'm 57, female, and self employed. My premiums are 300 dollars a month higher than my house payment, and my deductable is three thousand dollars. That's just for 50% coverage. I have to hit eight thousand dollars to get full coverage.  I feel that I should get a discount on my insurance because I take good care of myself.  

  I wish that we had a system like the French in that there is a drugstore on every corner. When you get sick with something simple like oh say, a sprain or minor infection, you go to the pharmacy first for basic care. I find it stupid and wasteful that I have to spend 150 bucks just to see my doc to have her call in a simple antibiotic to the pharmacy. We really need a whole bunch of Nurse practitioners or highly trained pharmacists to free up the doctors to do the major stuff.  

So much of the discussion about health care discussion assumes that most of us have employer provided insurance. One of the faster growing sectors of the economy is the self employed and small businesses. We really have to pay through the nose compared to the employed who have group rates. The cost of health care is killing me and all I can do is pray that I can continue to meet my constantly rising premiums until I'm 65.  I live in fear that I'll lose my insurance for any reason because at my age no one will insure me at any price.

posted 3 years, 10 months ago
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Bartering has been a way of life for me for decades. I'm a craftsman who has traded for medical services, dental care, legal help, house cleaning, car repair , optical care, physical therapy, gardening help,you name it, I've traded for it. I even trade my excess produce from my garden for meals in local restaurants. My husband trades his skills for beer at a local micro brewery. Boy, is he a happy camper. 

  I don't care for structured barter because of the issue of declared income and taxes.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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As the children of career military folks, my siblings and I were immersed in many cultures and languages. My folks were adamant that we live "on the economy". We were always encouraged to avoid the "American Ghettos". While total language immersion is hard work it is with out a doubt the fastest and most effective way to learn a new language.
As a result none of us is afraid of new languages or other cultures. We are much more open than many of our fellow Americans to foreign ideas.
-Jo Haemer Portland oregon

posted 4 years, 7 months ago
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Back in the day when the NEA was gutted and censored by our law makers, my old friend the late Tim Brooks started Blue Gallery. ART MUSIC BEER was his motto. He said that the last folks he wanted to tell him what to show was the government. He figured the best way to finance his gallery was with beer. It was a roaring success for years. He showed art that no one else would and had bands play that nobody ever heard about. Like oh say Nirvana.

posted 5 years ago
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I feel that a successful piece of public art should get the population talking and thinking beyond their normal comfort zone.
My favorite pieces of public art are art cars. The ultimate public art. They are mobile and seen by far more people than a fixed pice of art. And there is no cost to the tax payer.

posted 5 years ago
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